Hot this morning\u00a0 with more on the way.\u00a0 Humid too.\u00a0 \u00a0But there is a lake down the hill…..<\/p>\n
Yesterday was hot hot hot.\u00a0 So I did mostly indoor stuff.\u00a0 I knocked several small projects off the list.\u00a0 \u00a0Replaced the toilet flush stuff in the hall bath.\u00a0 Found the water meter and shut off, and made the shut off actually work.\u00a0 \u00a0Because I looked under the hall bath sink and saw the pipes were glistening….<\/p>\n
Old pipes shouldn’t glisten.\u00a0 \u00a0That means they are wet, and water should be on the inside not the outside of the pipe.\u00a0 There was a drop on the bottom of the P trap.\u00a0 Odd, since we haven’t really been using that sink, but the faucet does drip.\u00a0 It’s the project I was finally getting to.<\/p>\n
As I tried to disconnect the P trap, the whole tailstock broke loose from the sink.\u00a0 \u00a0That ain’t supposed to happen.\u00a0 With all that out of the way, I can see the cold water supply line is wet.\u00a0 \u00a0And this is the point that finding the water service shutoff became really critical.\u00a0 \u00a0I actually couldn’t make the valve near the house move, so we dug out the main valve at the street.\u00a0 \u00a0Some judicious banging on it got it free, and we were able to shut off the house.<\/p>\n
Which was really timely, as the pipe nipple and 1\/4 turn valve under the sink fell off in my hand.\u00a0 \u00a0Rotted right through where the galvanized iron pipe was screwed into the brass T of the supply… So now I’m digging through my parts buckets and boxes looking for some way to get this all back together at least so I can get the rest of the house turned back on.<\/p>\n
After much “skull sweat” (as a favorite author used to say) I finally figured out a combination that would actually work, and let me connect the new sink.\u00a0 I just had to clean all the old pipe dope out of the fitting, use a sprinkler nipple, and reuse the old 1\/4 turn valve.\u00a0 What could go wrong?<\/p>\n
Well,\u00a0 MY stuff all held together, but banging and scraping on the brass T soldered into the 1\/2″ copper supply line must have moved enough of the green corrosion around to open a pin hole.\u00a0 Yep.\u00a0 \u00a0Water was coming out of the side of the fitting.<\/p>\n
NOW I just need to cap the line, so I can get the water back on, and I’ve used what I had.\u00a0 Gotta cut out the bad T, while not breaking any of the other sketchy solder joints, or flexing the other green copper fittings.<\/p>\n
And as much as this tale of plumbing woes must resonate, and stir the passions of you readers…\u00a0 meatspace.\u00a0 6pm Sunday, small town America, no stores open,\u00a0 \u00a0BUT, my neighbor takes me to his “storage house”, really just a metal building used for all the stuff that won’t fit in his tiny lakehouse, and we find some copper fittings, pipe, and everything I need to solder it all together.<\/p>\n
So I did.\u00a0 Got the line capped, the water back on, everything held, and other than not having a sink in the hall bath, we’re back to normal.<\/p>\n
It could have been very bad.\u00a0 \u00a0Had the pipe burst while we were away, it could have flooded for weeks, or until someone noticed the water running out of the back of the house…<\/p>\n
But I got lucky and saw there was an issue.\u00a0 Poked at it until I was SURE there was an issue, and got a solution from my own preps, and\u00a0 with the help of a friend and neighbor.<\/p>\n
Followed that up with a nice dinner, and front row seats for a great neighborhood fireworks show (all the neighborhood chips in, the fireworks are sponsored, and the money goes to the volunteer fire department.\u00a0 Small town USA.)<\/p>\n
A good day.<\/p>\n
I was going to write about Independence, given the day and all, but that will have to wait.<\/p>\n
Hard work, a lucky break, friends, and the community celebrating together happened instead.<\/p>\n
So as I hope you (American readers) will celebrate Indepedence Day, and have a truly wonderful one, ask yourself “What are you doing to become independent?”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The question is a good one for everyone, not just Americans.\u00a0 \u00a0What are you doing to be not- dependent?\u00a0 Stacking needful things is a great start…\u00a0 enjoy the day.<\/p>\n
nick<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hot this morning\u00a0 with more on the way.\u00a0 Humid too.\u00a0 \u00a0But there is a lake down the hill…..<\/p>\n
Yesterday was hot hot hot.\u00a0 So I did mostly indoor stuff.\u00a0 I knocked several small projects off the list.\u00a0 \u00a0Replaced the toilet flush stuff in the hall bath.\u00a0 Found the water meter and shut off, and made the shut off actually work.\u00a0 \u00a0Because I looked under the hall bath sink and saw the pipes were glistening….<\/p>\n